Swinging horse.



A. D. CONVERSE.

SWINGING HORSE.

APPL |CATION FiLED DEC.13.I916.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE, OF WINCHENIDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SWINGING HORSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latentedNov. 6, 1917.

Application filed December 13; 1916. Serial No. 137,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .ATHERTON. D. CON- vnnsn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of l Vinchendon, in the. county of lVorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swinging Horses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toys and particularly to that class of toys known as swing horses, the principal object of said invention being to provide a knockdown device of this class which may be packed in small space when shipped from the manufacturer and while in the storage rooms of the dealers.

The invention consists primarily in providing the body of the horse with two transverse recesses in the under side thereof and clamping therein two inclined bars the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to swinging arms or links detachably hung on the studs of a demountable support.

The invention further consistsin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description ofthe drawings and to the claims hereinafter given. 7

For the purpose of illustrating the 1nvention, one preferred form thereof is illustrated in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as here-- in shown and described.

Of the drawings: v

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a swing horse embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of same on'line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents an elevation of one end of one side of the demountablesupport.

Fig. l represents an elevation of one end of a connecting bar for said support.

Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of one of the sides of said demountable support, and

Fig. 6' represents anelevation of the end of one of the swinging links.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

lnthe drawings, 10 isthe body of a horse provided with the depending legs 11 and having a vertical opening 12 extending through the front portion of said body. Superimposed upon the front portion of the body 10 is a detachable head 13 having a rod 14 secured thereto which rod extends through the opening 12 and has threaded to its lower end the clamping nut 14* by which the head 13 may be readily secured to the body portion 10 of the horse.

To prevent the head 18 from turning relatively to the body 10 a dowel 15 is provided which extends upwardly from the body por- I tion 10 into the lower face of the head 13. Extending intothe lower part of the body 10 are two inclined recesses 16 adapted tb receive the upper ends of the brace bars 17 inclined downwardly and from each other, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Intermediate the recesses 16 is a threaded rod 18 extending downwardlyfrom the body 10 of the horse with its lower end projecting through a clamping bar 19, the opposite ends of which are inclined to coincide with the inclined faces of the brace bars 17. A nut 20 is threaded to the lower end of the rod 18 and by adjusting this nut 20 the clamping bar 19 may be forced toward the body 10 of the horse and wedge the brace bars 17 firmly in position in the recesses 16 so that accidental displacement therefrom is absolutely prevented;

Projecting members 21 are provided in the clamping bar'19, said members extending into openings in the lower part of the body 10 of the horse, said members preventing the rotation of the clamping bar 19 about the axis of the depending rod 18. The lower end of each brace bar 17 is provided with aconcaved groove 22 in which is positioned a cylindrical rod 23, said rod extending beyond the side faces of the brace bars 17, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings. I

Each rod 23 is secured to its bar 17 by a pair of securing members 23 extending transversely through the rod 23 into the lower end of-the bar 17. The outer en'd'of each rod 23 is pivotally connected to a link 24: the upper end of which'is provided with a keyhole slot 25. The larger portion ofthe keyhole slot 25 is of sutlicient size to admit the head of a stud 26, while the smaller straight portion of the keyhole slot 25 is of the same width as the shank 2? of said stud-26. hen the link 24: has been positioned with the shank 27 in the narrower portion of the keyhole slot 25, it is obvious that the links 24 cannot accidentally be displaced from the stud 26.

Each stud 26 is secured to a projecting member 28 mounted in an upright 29'forming a portion of a demountable support for the swing horse 10. On each side of the demounta-ble support two of the uprights 29 are connected together by a horizontal bar 30, said bar 30 being secured to the inner face of said uprights 29 with its ends set back from the outer edges of said uprights 29, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

A metal strap 31 between the horizontal bar 30 and the upright 29 acts as a brace and gives the necessary rigidity to the demountable support. From the opposite ends of each bar 30 project the threaded studs 32-, each stud being adapted to pass through an opening in the end of a connecting bar Set interposed between the side uprights 29. The bars 34 are retained in position by means of the nuts 35 threaded to the outer ends of the studs 32. The body 10 of the horse is provided with a saddle 36 which affords a suitable seat for the rider.

when the device is mounted in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the horse may be swung on the depending links 24, a galloping effect being, secured during the swinging movement.

Heretofore in the construction of swing horses of this character, it has been the practice to secure to the under portion of the body a curved bar, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to swinging bails. There is considerable objection to this construction, not only owing to the cost but on account of the amount of space required in shipping the articles to the wholesaler, and

also the space required while in storage.

Owing to the high freight charges, when devices of this character are to be shipped long distances, it is quite essential that some provision be made for reducing the amount ofspace required during said shipments.

To this end the entire toy is constructed so that the various parts thereof may be readily separated and packed in small compass. For instance, by removing the nut l-i the head 13 may be separated from the body 10. By loosening the nut 20 on the threaded member 18, the clamping bar 19 may be moved downwardly suihciently' to overcome the clamping effect upon the brace bars 1T so that these bars may be removed from the recesses 16 in the under part of the body 10. By moving each link 24 upwardly so that the head of the stud 26 is opposite the larger portion of 'the slot 25, these links- 24 may be removed from the studs. Each link is then moved into the same plane with the brace bar to which it is pivoted. The nuts 35 are removed from the studs 32, thereby permitting the connecting bars 34: to be removed from the studs 32. The side frames 2930 may then be brought together and all of the various elements of the structure packed in a very small space.

It has been estimated that in an ordinary freight car three times the number of these swinging horses may be shipped when constructed as herein: described and dismembered; Moreover, the freight rates always provide for a minimum weight per car, and when the toys are shipped all assembled, the combined weight is less than one half the minimum weight to be paid for.

When dismembered and packed in the manner herein described, the combined weight of the toys shipped will exceed the said minimum weight.

By means of the construction herein shown, all the objections mentioned have been fully overcome and at the same time when the various parts are assembled a rigid structure is obtained.

It is believed that the many advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a support provided with two sets of opposed studs; a seat member provided with a pair of centrally dis posed downwardly inclined bars; transverse rods secured to the lower ends of said bars and extending beyond the opposite edges thereof; and links pivoted to the ends of said rods and having at their upper ends key hole slots adapted to receive said studs.

2'. The combination of a support provided with two sets of opposed studs; a seat mem-' ber provided with a pair of centrally disposed downwardly inclined bars having concaved grooves in their lower ends; transverse rods positioned in said grooves and extending beyond the opposite edges of said bars; and links pivoted to the ends of said rods and having at their upper ends keyhole slots adapted to receive said studs.

3. T he combination of asupport provided with two sets of opposed studs; a seat member provided with a pair of centrally disposed downwardly inclined bars having concaved grooves in their lower ends; trans verse rods positioned in said grooves and extending beyond the opposite edges of said bars; members extending transversely through said rods into the ends of said bars; and links pivotedto the ends of said rods and having at their upper ends keyhole slots adapted to receive said studs.

4. The combination of a support provided ber provided with two centrally disposed inclined recesses in the underside thereof; two bars the upper ends of which are positioned in said recesses; rods secured to the lower ends of said bars and extending beyond the opposite edges thereof and links between said rods and studs.

.5. The combination of a seat member provided with two inclined recesses in the under side thereof; two bars the upper ends of which are positioned in said recesses; a clamping bar beneath said seat member with its ends bearing against said inclined bars; and means for drawing said clamping bar toward said seat member.

6. The combination of a seat member provided with two inclined recesses in the under side thereof; two bars the upper ends of which are positioned in said recesses; a clamping bar beneath said seat member with its ends bearing against said inclined bars; a threaded stud positioned in said seat member and extending through said clamping bar; and a nut on the outer end of said stud.

7. The combination of a seat member provided with two inclined recesses in the under side thereof; two bars the upper ends of which are positioned in said recesses; a clamping bar beneath said seat member with its ends bearing against said inclined bars; a threaded stud positioned in said seat member and extending through said clamping bar; a nut on the outer end of said stud; and means preventing the rotation of said clamping bar.

8. The combination of a support provided with two sets of opposed studs; a seat member provided with two transverse recesses inclined downwardly from each other; two bars the upper ends of which are positioned in said recesses; swinging supports for the lower ends of said bars; a non-revoluble bar with its ends abutting the inclined sides of said bars; and means for forcing said nonrevoluble bar toward said seat member.

9. The combination of a seat member; swinging links pivoted thereto; two side frames each provided with studs adapted to support said links and each formed in part of two uprights connected by a horizontal bar; a threaded stud projecting from the opposite ends of said horizontal bars; connecting bars adapted to be interposed between said uprights and provided with openings at opposite ends to receive said studs; and securing nuts threaded to the outer ends of said studs.

10. The combination of a support provided with two sets of opposed studs; a seat member provided with a pair of centrally disposed downwardly inclined bars; transverse rods secured to the lower ends of said bars and extending beyond the opposite edges thereof; and links pivoted to the ends of said rods and having at their upper ends slots adapted to receive said studs.

Signed by me at 4 Post Oflice Sq., Boston, Mass, this 4th day of December, 1916.

ATHEBTON D. CONVERSE. lVitnesses WALTER E. LQMBARD, NATHAN C. LOMBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

